Mexican City Government Launches Free HPV Vaccination Campaign

Sorted under health, sex and sexuality on July 25, 2009

The Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is one of the major causes of cervical cancer. It infects 20% of men and women in Latin America and as explained by Nubia Muñoz Calero, Columbian pathologist and physician, a member of the committee of scientists in charge of supervising the HPV vaccine Gardasil’s clinic trials, and nominee of the Nobel Prize for Physiology and Medicine 2008, there is an 80% change of getting infected with HPV over one’s lifespan.

Because of the tremendous risk of being infected with HPV and going on to fighting a battle with cervical cancer, the Mexican City government has launched a free Human Papilloma Virus vaccination campaign to reduce cervical cancer rates. The announcement came after Panama launched a national free HPV vaccination campaign last October. The Mexican government then launched the Programa de Acción Específico de Cáncer Cérvico Uternino 2007-2012 (Specific Action Program on Cervical Cancer 2007-2012), a comprehensive plan aimed “to reduce the mortality and morbidity rates through the provision of excellent services for the promotion, prevention, detection, diagnosis, treatment and suffering control, as well as the responsible participation of the population on health care.” Last December, thousands of girls received the first dose of the vaccine, as well as a short information session including topics on sexuality and documentation related to gender violence.

The vaccination will cover the capital city and will be provided to about 35,000 girls between 11 and 13 years old, in all health care centers of Mexico City. The reason why this vaccine is being given to girls, rather than already sexually active women, is because in order for the vaccine to have the most effect and to have better results, it should be administered to someone before they are sexually active, as HPV is a sexually transmitted infection.

The HPV vaccine has been sold in Mexico since 2006; however, it was only provided by the private health centers at a very high cost of $600 USD. The HPV vaccine is one of the most costly vaccines worldwide and for the implementation of the Mexican campaign, the government has allocated about $10 million.

It’s great to see that Mexico is making the HPV vaccine readily available to girls at no cost; this is especially beneficial to low income girls who could have never received the vaccine otherwise. Cervical cancer is the most common form of cancer among Mexican women and according to a report [PDF] from the HPV Information Center, approximately 5,775 Mexican women die every year from cervical cancer and has the highest mortality rate of any cancer affecting women in Mexico. It’s fantastic to see that the Mexican government is using their money to ensure a happy and fulfilling future for the girls of Mexico who could have very well become cervical cancer statistics.



You May Also Enjoy:

  • There is no cure for hpv. About 90% of people that have healthy immune system will clear the virus without any medical treatments within two years of becoming infected.
  • HPV is pretty scary. I hear 5 out of 10 people who have it don't even know.
  • I don't know how I feel about what dharmamedicine there has to say but I just finished all three injections, and I'm fine. Just because it was really painful (won't lie) doesn't mean I don't think others shouldn't get it.

    After my last injection I found out that my insurance wasn't going to cover all three like they had said they would, I was so angry but stuck with the bill and helpless to do anything about it. Then I recieved a rebate offer in the mail from the Gardasil company saying that I was eligible for $130 of my bill to be paid for (my last injection came up to $250). It's going from April 1 2009- April 30, 2010 so let people know that if they're getting the shots soon and their insurance won't pay for it that they should ask their doctor to look into the rebate.I seem to remember that the rebate sheet said only women 19-24 qualified, probably as a way to encourage those out on their own to take care of themselves.
  • Thanks so much for sharing the info you have about it, especially the fact that your insurance won't cover it and that there is a rebate available. Very much appreciate it!
  • not a problem. oh and my insurance that won't cover it- Pearce Administration, the lovely folks behind studentinsurance.com
  • K2
    Its really painful.
  • dharmamedicine
    It's not great to see that Mexico is doing this. Gardisil has killing NUMEROUS women and girls. You should probably check out the ingredients, the cases of sick/dead women and then say if giving people free Gardisil vaccines is awesome. Because I doubt it it, it won't stop you from getting it. HPV has a lot of strands and it only protects against, hm, maybe four.

    "Gardasil vaccine ingredients include amorphous aluminum hydroxyphosphate sulfate, sodium chloride, L-histidine, polysorbate 80, sodium borate, (roach killer), and water for injection.

    Polysorbate 80 injected into prepubescent rats caused a rapid growth of reproductive organs, but growth was abnormal and the rats were sterile, unable to have children. When used intravenously with vitamins it has been known to cause anaphylactic shock. According to the Polysorbate 80 MSDS, it may be a carcinogenic, (cause cancer), as well as a mutagenic, (birth defects).

    Sodium Borate is a dangerous poison. Two of the medical uses of the past were for disinfecting wounds, until people started dying from repeated cleaning), and cleaning nursery's, (until too many babies started dying) Side effects are vomiting, diarrhea, skin rash, blisters, collapse, coma, convulsions, drowsiness, fever, lack of desire to do anything, low blood pressure, decreased urine output, sloughing of the skin, twitching of facial muscles, arms, hands, legs, and feet.

    Gardasil contains 225 cmg of aluminum in each shot. There are 3 injections in each vaccine that is 675cmg of aluminum. "

    Now do you think that the government is trying to protect women? Or are they trying to kill them?
  • Now how about some links to go with all that quoting? If you're going to attempt to spread the word about something that you believe is harmful or that you were told is harmful, I'm going to need some proof in your comment, not just constant quoting from some unknown source.
  • dharmamedicine
    http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/02/06/eveni...

    Video to the above article:
    http://www.nvic.org/NVIC-Vaccine-News/July-2009...

    Barack Obama & his petition:
    http://www.thepetitionsite.com/14/investigate-g...

    http://www.injuryboard.com/national-news/fda-ad...

    I'm not saying everyone is going to get sick, but do you really want to take that chance?
  • Thank you for the links. I have been reading a lot about this since you left your comment and have also been directed to more links about the vaccine that I have been reading up about.
blog comments powered by Disqus